Let yourself wonder
How putting down my phone has made my life better
Thursday, October 25, 2023
I was so blessed to be able to attend the Wild and Free conference in September. One of the major topics for the whole event was the responsibility we as mothers hold to create lives of wonder for our children. Wonder ignites imagination, exploration, and discovery. This is something I believe, and have believed, from the beginning. But a new idea presented itself to me recently. I wonder what it would be like if I also created a cocoon of wonder for myself.
I don't mean wonder in the very same way it was used at the conference. Wonder doesn't just have to refer to a magical, whimsical idea. The word also describes a state of mind, which has become fleeting with the rise of, and reliance upon, technology. I wonder how much it would cost to build a fence around our whole property...I let that thought sit in my mind for a fraction of a second before I consulted Google. I wonder how long it takes for a pecan tree to produce fruit. I wonder how much angora fiber I need to crochet a pair of socks. I let myself wonder...for just a small moment before I replace it with facts and new knowledge. But what if I let myself sit in it?
In his book, Essentialism, Greg McKeown describes a steep decline in our ability as a people to think. He describes a people who live in a constant state of distraction and overstimulation due to the use of technology. He is working to develop a new type of classroom where people are forced to turn off their phones and laptops and "turn on the full power of their minds." He says, "By abolishing any chance of being bored, we have also lost the time we used to have to think and process."
I've heard my own voice saying similar things to my children when they fall at my feet exclaiming, "I'm bored!" Boredom is the birthplace of genius and art. It is the mother of invention, and creativity. Boredom breeds wonder!
Wondering allows us to consider a number of possibilities. It leaves the space required for new ideas to form. Wondering forces our creative mind to exercise in ways that it hasn't been asked to, maybe in your lifetime! So next time you hear yourself saying, "I wonder how....[you fill in the blank.]" Hold onto that, and let yourself sit in that moment of wondering, even if for just a few seconds, and watch the magic take hold of your mind.
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